If anyone is on the fence about going, I can't stress enough that every year you miss will be one you regret when you finally DO!

There are trials where people quite literally are heckled while they are on the field. At this one, the heckler would find themselves face to face with some dogs and handlers that you would be hard pressed to decide which was more of a threat.

The first year Liz went she was worried about not being ready and being made fun of. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. The members of Capital Cities are great. Last year, Erin, John, Liz and I were there on Friday, so we got to participate in a class that was a lot of fun as well.

AND to top it all off, I sponsor the ribbons for the event and they are awesome if I do say so myself!

Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.

mnp13 wrote:AND to top it all off, I sponsor the ribbons for the event and they are awesome if I do say so myself!

Have you decided on the ribbon for last place yet? Because if the stars align and I end up going this year, I want to know that Renee and I will have a kick ass last place ribbon to bring home. Michigan is a long way from South Carolina!

I can promise you that your first time is kind of intimidating - Demo had to talk me out of driving back home the night I arrived my first year because I was super intimidated, but Michelle isn't kidding when she says that EVERYBODY is super nice and willing to help you out. Now I wouldn't dream of missing it!

"Remember - every time your dog gets somewhere on a tight leash *a fairy dies and it's all your fault.* Think of the fairies." http://www.positivepetzine.com"

pitbullmamaliz wrote:I can promise you that your first time is kind of intimidating - Demo had to talk me out of driving back home the night I arrived my first year because I was super intimidated, but Michelle isn't kidding when she says that EVERYBODY is super nice and willing to help you out. Now I wouldn't dream of missing it!

It's a bit intimidating...but that's why I brought tons of dogs...they couldn't all be *last*.

But yeah, everyone is super nice. Plus we'll all be there...so it'll be FUN!

Are you gonna catch dogs again Liz?

"I don't have any idea if my dogs respect me or not, but they're greedy and I have their stuff." -- Patty Ruzzo

"Dogs don't want to control people. They want to control their own lives." --John Bradshaw

So... the "last place" ribbon was supposed to be a surprise, but the beans just got spilled on Cheryl's board, so here is what I just posted there:

I believe I have claimed last place three times, though probably more than that!!

I remember my first year - Nightmare on Lowell St - going out there just praying I wouldn't make a total fool of myself, knowing that my boy wasn't "in the running" but wanting to just do what we could, and learn while doing it. (favorite memory from that year: Cheryl's voice over the speakers "let go of the decoy." )

We've had many conversations on my board along the lines of "we're going to try it, we may come in last, but at least we did it!"

I used to be in an AKC club where members would have fits if there was any noise in the building while training; doing my annual "DSO report" was always funny because the "big wigs" in that club would never EVER consider doing anything other than their pattern, in a quiet building, with the right gating. The looks on their faces was priceless when I said things like "so we had to put a bag over our heads, then we heeled and were told to halt, then a sprinkler turned on and the dog was supposed to hold their position."

When I did photography at one of the obedience trials, I had a large galvanized washtub for the dogs to sit on to get them up higher in the photo. More than one titled obedience dog refused to get on it - and more than one handler said "s/he won't get on it, we've never trained that." um....

So the ultimate finisher (assuming they don't do anything on purpose to end up there, as was suggested to me as a concern) will also get a reward... just for having the guts to get out there and try.

Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.

Hundilein wrote:Have you decided on the ribbon for last place yet? Because if the stars align and I end up going this year, I want to know that Renee and I will have a kick ass last place ribbon to bring home. Michigan is a long way from South Carolina!

And in relation to this - if you look at other year's threads about the DSO, you'll probably notice a few comments (not by me) about Princess Bitch placing because she's so "good." Well, not only has she not won, but she has not even finished in the ribbons. (spending time rolling around on her back in the grass instead of heeling, or holding her down hasn't helped my score much.)

The challenges of this trial are so different than anything else that it's overall preparedness that is your best chance to do well. Having a solid, trusting relationship with your dog goes a looooong way when you ask them to do weird, unexpected things.

Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.

Alright, it breaks my heart to do this but I won't be coming this year. I just can't afford it. It would all end up on my credit card and I need to stop doing that. I'm very VERY upset but I have to be responsible.

"Remember - every time your dog gets somewhere on a tight leash *a fairy dies and it's all your fault.* Think of the fairies." http://www.positivepetzine.com"

It does. I kept myself in a state of denial for way too long, "if it's on my credit card, it's not really costing me anything!" So I'm being a practical adult and making a grown-up decision, and it SUCKS! *stomps foot*

"Remember - every time your dog gets somewhere on a tight leash *a fairy dies and it's all your fault.* Think of the fairies." http://www.positivepetzine.com"

pitbullmamaliz wrote:Alright, it breaks my heart to do this but I won't be coming this year. I just can't afford it. It would all end up on my credit card and I need to stop doing that. I'm very VERY upset but I have to be responsible.

I don't even have a credit car to be irresponsible WITH! LOL! And since we're no long involved in bitework I think we would only be going out to do the OB anyway. Boring (no offense to everyone else, I just really hate obedience). And I didn't get the job I was counting on anyway. No money = no fun!!

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." -Anatole France